Article 8
Shall the Pelham School District vote to raise and appropriate moneys to fund salaries and benefits for new teaching, guidance and athletic positions at Pelham High School, as follows:
- $25,000 to fund one half-time business teacher.
- Recommended by the Pelham School Board
- Recommended by the Pelham Budget Committee
- $50,000 to fund one Art teacher.
- Recommended by the Pelham School Board
- Not Recommended by the Pelham Budget Committee
- $50,000 to fund one Math/Science teacher.
- Recommended by the Pelham School Board
- Recommended by the Pelham Budget Committee
- $25,000 to fund an upgrade of a guidance position, half-time to full-time.
- Recommended by the Pelham School Board
- Not Recommended by the Pelham Budget Committee
- $50,000 to fund an upgrade to one full-time Athletic Director.
- Recommended by the Pelham School Board
- Not Recommended by the Pelham Budget Committee
- $16,586 to fund increased contracted athletic trainer service to full-time for Pelham students.
- Recommended by Pelham School Board
- Not Recommended by the Pelham Budget Committee
Status
- Originator: School Board
- School Board: 5-0-0 all positions
- Budget Committee:
- 8a) 6-3-0
- 8b) 1-8-0
- 8c) 8-1-0
- 8d) 4-5-0
- 8e) 1-8-0
- 8f) 1-9-0
Voter's Guide Explanation
8a) This article represents an additional teacher at Pelham High School that would teach courses in business. The existing department currently serves 415 students in 14 classes. 47 students were rejected from enrollment in business classes this year due to limited capacity with existing staff. There is an anticipated increase in the number of junior and senior level students. Students at those grade levels would be most affected by the creation of this position.
8b) This article represents an additional teacher at Pelham High School that would teach courses in art. The existing department currently serves 268 students. A total of 446 students requested enrollment in an art class, and an additional 108 students requested enrollment in a photography class. This request will allow more students to have their requests for art and photography classes fulfilled.
8c) This article represents an additional teacher at Pelham High School that would teach courses in math and science. 13 current sections which act as prerequisite courses for other courses are full and cannot accommodate additional students. The creation of this position would allow more students to enroll in math and science courses.
8d) This article represents an upgrade to an existing position. A current employee would have additional hours added to the work week. The current guidance department has a case load that exceeds that which is specified in the State Standard ED 306.17. The guidance department provides the following services:
- Four year planning for all students
- Seminars for all parents at each grade level
- Career planning
- College selection and application process
- College interviews
- Coordination of student participation in special programs, i.e. St Paul's Advanced
- Studies, Advanced Placement classes, Rivier's Challenge Program, and National and State leadership programs
- Coordination of student testing programs: PSAT, SAT, NWEA, and NHEIAP
- Students At Risk counseling
- 8e) This article represents an upgrade to an existing from part-time to full-time. The current athletic director teaches two physical education courses in addition to performing the duties of the athletic director.
- Under the direct supervision of the Principal, the Athletic Director coordinates all aspects of the Interscholastic Athletic Program. Currently, the program consists of 34 teams, with 21 Varsity teams, 13 sub-varsity teams, and one club team.
- 8f) Athletic training services for all athletes at Pelham High School is delivered through a contracted service. Passage of this article will extend the number of hours of service provided through this contract to eight hours a day and an average of 40 hours per week. Presently, Pelham High School is one of two Class I schools without a full-time Athletic Director.
Backup Data
8a) Currently, an existing teacher has taken on two extra sections in order to assist students who would otherwise be turned down from taking a business class. By adding this teacher, the existing staff could resume a normal schedule while allowing additional students the opportunity to take business classes.
8b) No further backup available.
8c) No further backup available.
8d) Critical to the social, academic and career planning needs of our students, our Guidance and Career Center offers programs that provide students opportunities to identify their educational goals, not only for high school, but also for their lifelong learning process. To meet these goals, we would like to develop a stronger transition program for our ninth graders aimed at self-knowledge, organization, study skills, and the initial exploration of academic interests.
- We already offer special services for students who qualify either for a 504 Accommodation or an individualized educational plan (IEP). However, we need to also reach the incoming ninth graders who have met with academic or social challenges in their middle school classes. For example, in the Class of 2009, we have 53 students from the eighth grade who had Ds or Fs. Of these, 29 students are considered at risk at the beginning of their freshman year because they either had two or more F's in core academic classes in the 8thi grade, or they had high number of absences.
- The Freshman Transition Program is designed to serve the needs of all freshmen, with additional focus on individual or group meetings to address the issues that prevent student academic and social success. Currently, a part-time employee, who works two days a week, leads the 9th Grade Transition Team. The vision of the Transition Team is to meet with 8th grade teachers early in January or February at Pelham Memorial School (PMS) to discuss those students who may need additional support and motivation to succeed as learners at PHS. Subsequent to these meetings, the transition team would work individually and in small groups with these students.
- Services - Services to Students & Families
- Four year planning for all students
- Organize "step-up" days for incoming freshmen
- Facilitate transition programs
- Maintain grade reporting and tracking systems
- Develop and implement Awareness Seminars for parents
- Provide student support and advocacy through group meetings and classroom contact
- Assist students pursuing school-to- work opportunities
- Arrange tutorial services for struggling students
- Collaborate with Special Services Department and Case Managers
- We would like to recommend that the part-time counselor position become full-time. This would allow our office to better manage the transition, academic, career and social/personal needs of our students. Further, the additional hours would allow us flexibility to offer more individual student contact time and evening hours for parent and student contact.
8e) Review the following for more information.
- Serve as official liaison between coaches and the Principal
- Mediates student/athlete and coach issues, as well as mediates coach and parent issues.
- Serves as official school representative of the athletic department at local regional and if appropriate national meetings.
- Coordinates activities of and serves as an advisor to the PHS Athletic Booster Club.
- Promotes school-wide and community interest in the high school athletic program.
- Serves as a liaison between the Pelham High School Athletic Program and the media.
- Works with the media to insure coverage of our student/athletes accomplishments.
- Coordinates and supervises media relationships with students.
- Communicates with teachers and staff regarding athletic successes within our student population.
- Assumes responsibility for the organization and scheduling of all interscholastic athletic events.
- Serves as school administrator and supervisor of all home athletic events and tournaments. This year we will hostl86 home events. With the possibility of home tournament games. Almost all of the winter events are in the evening or on weekends. Many times there are more than one event at the same time.
- Coordinates officials, security, medical personnel, and related positions as required of all home events.
- Arranges all transportation for scheduled athletic contests (approximately 200 trips per year).
- Serves on one or more NHIAA Committees to improve the administration of NIT High School Athletics.
- Design and provide athletic emergency cards for student athletes.
- Collect, file, copy and supply coaches with these. Collect, and file insurance information. Work with the school nurse and keep track of all athletes' medical history, and required yearly physicals.
- Provides feedback to principal, superintendent school board members, parents, and citizens concerning the organization and administration of athletics.
- Organizes and manages the administration of team photographs for all 34 teams, as well as provide PHS Booster club with an individual headshot of each athlete, rosters and schedules.
- Maintains frequent communication with the NHIAA in regards to scheduling, policy, eligibility status, policy, and improvement of the New Hampshire athletic programs.
- Communicates team rosters and early dismissal schedules to teachers and staff.
- Supervises all coaches, provides leadership, training, and evaluation of athletic coaches and staff members.
- Mediates athletic staff issues.
- Schedules and coordinates CPR and first aid classes for all coaches.
- Oversees and keeps records of coaches eligibility requirements set forth by the NHTAA.
- Provides the Principal and Superintendent with a recommendation for the hiring of all coaches, consisting of PAR forms as well as background check paperwork, applications and the fingerprint process.
- Works closely with the Principal and Assistant Principal to assure consistency between athletic and school-wide policy. Prepares and maintains a coach's informational manual. Prepares and maintains a student-athlete code of conduct. Conducts seasonal coaches meetings to assure that NHIAA and PHS athletic department policies and procedures will be successfully ad ministered.
- Yearly meeting to elect the Python Award winners and other major awards for the Varsity dinner.
- Develops and implements appropriate rules and regulations governing the conduct of athletic activities including the publication of a student-athlete handbook.
- Prepares and administers the athletic program budget. Requisitions of all (in cooperation with appropriate staff members). Supplies, uniforms, and equipment for 34 teams.
- Purchases all medical supplies for the trainer.
- Purchases all services required by the Athletic Department, including out of district maintenance and repair services, screening and embroidery, and personnel services required to host events.
- Reinforce the physical and academic requirements of eligibility for participation in each sport, and verify each athlete's eligibility.
- Maintains communication with teachers and staff regarding academic performance of student athletes, and communicates this to coaches.
- Coordinates indoor and outdoor athletic facility scheduling for practices and games, both within the department and with outside groups such as Pelham Parks and Recreation.
- Assumes responsibility for safety within the environment of each team's practice and competition venue.
- Works with Pelham School District maintenance personnel in regards to facility needs of fields, gym, locker rooms, and genera building use as it pertains to athletics.
- Works with Pelham School District maintenance personnel to insure that all fields are lined and are at a standard that comply with NHTAA and NFFIS policy.
- Supervises the reconditioning, cleaning, storage, and care of athletic equipment.
- Maintains current standards required by the National Federation of High School Athletics regarding compliance and safety equipment.
- Supervises the collection and storage of all uniforms and equipment distributed to students.
- Administers Fall, Winter, and Spring Athletic Award Nights. This includes coordinating with coaches on the selection and purchase of team and individual awards, providing a guest speaker, advising the Booster Club in their contribution, set up and decoration of the stage, and serving as the MC for the evening. Keeps records regarding varsity letters, pins, and writes and/or prints each athlete's certificate.
- Organizes special events for outstanding team or individual performances. This includes organizing receptions and photo sessions, and providing refreshments, flowers, etc., police escorts, and nominates for other special awards, such as Male and Female Scholar Athletes.
- Selects students for arid accompanies them to various workshops and academic athletic awards ceremonies, as offered through the NHIAA.
8f) With an increase in the number of teams and athletes participating in athletics, the services required to provide adequate injury treatment and prevention has increased significantly. Passage of this article would allow a trainer to be present at all home athletic contests to treat injured athletes.
During the fall of 2005, there were 55 recorded injuries to athletes and 122 follow-up treatments. During the 2005-2006 winter season, there have been 43 recorded injuries and 88 recorded follow-up treatments. In the past year, there have been three ambulance calls during a sporting event. In two of those three occasions, the athletic trainer was not present.
Additionally, there are three diabetic athletes, many athletes with asthma and one with a known heart condition. Passage of this article would allow for a trainer to be present during all practice and game times to mitigate liability that could arise from not having a trainer on duty.